Over the last 48 hours, the Houston area has seen a tremendous amount of rainfall, displacing many residents, leaving them without shelter, food and other basic needs. Montgomery County Food Bank (MCFB) has been out in the community to assess these areas in Montgomery County to best use the food bank’s resources where they are needed most.
MCFB is asking that those who can, visit their website at mcfoodbank.org and donate $10 to recovery and relief efforts. To text to give, simply send the letters MCFB to 45777. Having funding in place to tackle these needs as they arise is the unique strength of monetary donations. The most glaring needs at this time are water, easy-to-eat meals, single-serving meals and basic hygiene products, but as time progresses, other needs may come to the forefront.
“We pride ourselves in helping the residents in the most need in our area, but it’s the generosity of our community that makes this happen,” said President of MCFB, Rodney Dickerson. “This is especially important when we have had so many neighbors and businesses affected by these floods.”
In a crisis situation such as this, Montgomery County Food Bank’s monetary donations allow them to best exercise the relationships they have already built to secure food and other basic need items from organizations for distribution to the Food Bank’s pantries and beyond. Every dollar donated provides 3.5 meals for displaced individuals and families in the area.
If you or someone you know are in need of emergency food assistance, please contact MCFB through their website at mcfoodbank.org or call 936-539-6686. Volunteers are also needed to sort the food coming in to ensure that it gets out to people in need in a timely fashion. Volunteers can contact the Food Bank to help sort by emailing volunteers@mcfoodbank.org. For detailed media inquiries, please contact Jada England, Vice President of Development at 936-271-8822.
Created by a group of volunteers in 1985 to serve disadvantaged families in Montgomery County, MCFB distributed nearly 8.1 million pounds of food which represents 6.75 million meals in 2015 to those in need.
As the county has grown, so has the need for the MCFB’s assistance. At conception MCFB was a door-to-door operation run out of car trunks. They now distribute more than 6.6 million meals to more than 35,000 unduplicated low-income children, adults and seniors per year and works with 52 partner agencies throughout the county from its warehouse off of Texas 242, north of The Woodlands.
MCFB is 501(c)(3) chartered by the state of Texas and is a member of the Texas Food Bank Network and Feeding America.
For more information, to book a tour or volunteer at the MCFB facility, visit mcfoodbank.org.